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Power Struggle Worsens: Sirisena Appoints Committee To Vet Heads Of All State Institutions: Usurps Powers Of Ministers

Worsening the power struggle within the new government, President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a new committee, headed by Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne, to vet the resumes of heads of all state institutions nominated by the new ministers.

Sirisena

Sirisena has instructed the ministry secretaries to make appointments after recommendations by the Committee, Colombo Telegraph learns. As a result, the appointments of heads of state institutions have come to a standstill.

Highly placed government sources said Sirisea had appointed the committee to restrict the influence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when it comes high-profile appointments in the state sector. The committee allows Sirisena to have the final say over the appointments of heads of state institutions.

Speaking to Colombo Telegraph, a senior government spokesman said the appointment of a new committee might be in violation of the standard procedure. “It is the minister that is considered the appointing authority of heads of state institutions coming under each ministry. The committee is an attempt at usurping the powers of ministers.”

It is learnt that Cabinet ministers will take up the matter with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who still remains silent on the setting up of the committee.

In a similar move, Sirisena ensured that State Enterprise, Hill Country Heritage and Kandy Development Minister Lakshman Kiriella did not receive a single major state institution as per the Gazette on the allocation of subjects to ministries.

Kiriella only received four minor institutions – namely Ceylon Ceramic Corporation, KESCO, BCC Company and the State Resources Management Corporation – that are on the verge of bankruptcy.

Latest comments

JD/January 2, 2019

Ranil is a scum politician. Ranil says becasue of the 50 days, Every thing In Sri lanka is destroyed. WHAT LIES.

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Amarasiri/January 2, 2019

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Sirisena,

This is the way I comprehend you The Circle of Sirisena

1 Says one thing
2 Announces another thing
3 Does something completely different

On to the next circle, and repeats the circle wuith a new circle

Thanks for the entertainment!

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Desperate Sinhalaya/January 2, 2019

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Amarasiri,

you are spot on. let me add one more thing to that cycle… he each time cratches his head, after doing so … meaning he does not know what he has been upto.
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He may feel, Executive Presidency is as what he then heard from JR ( by you that you as a Prez would be able to do anything- ), ridiculously enoug h at the begining of 2015, this man himself, went on saying, he is the only president to have curtailed his powers as no other predecessors.
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We know by his health record, the man was not undergone to ANY kind of PROCTOLOGICAL Surgeries by which his ANUS would have been replaced by mouth piece – that means he should have the same mouth piece to utter it after almost 4 years.
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Not Ambalangoda Ruukada but this man SILISEENA has become its position to this date – thanks to BLACK media.
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Now most ridiculous thing is, DERANA has been stressing that they have been the best SENDERs to have telecasted almost everything in compliance with truths ? Can you imagine. ?
Derana is the loudsprecher of RAJAPAKSHE ballige putha. See also yestreday they look to have the power to telecast lot more about Rajakshes than the governing PRIME minister of the coutnry. They bring first the covrage of Rajapakshe even if he would leave a fart while bathing would BECOME their HEAD line news, but calling themselves to be the best sender…
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Dont they lankens have MEDIA ethics ? I m not living in SL.. no code of conduct ? if UK or rich nations woudl ALLOW their PVT media TV channels to dominate the way Derana and SIRSAsa are upto, things would have become MUCH worst in Europe for sure.

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Dinuk/January 3, 2019

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Bondscam Ranil MUST be impeached for looting the Central Bank and crashing the ruppe by clown Sira!
The great coverup of the Bondscam at the Central Bank has begun.
Shame of the CT Editors and English newspapers that the release of Aloysius from prison without charges has not appeared in the News.
This is the clear sign of the plan to delay filing of cases to cover up the Bondscam in the name of the national economy that has crashed because of CORRUPTION by the Prime Minister and his cronies.

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A.
Way to go! Keep them guessing; good strategy’ kick some asses, even better.

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Simon De Silva/January 2, 2019

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If Ranil SCUM politician, there should NOT be words in the Dictionary to name ballige putha Rajafukse and SIrisena (ultra joker of the lanken political history).

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Don Stanley/January 3, 2019

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Instead of playing silly secretarial games, Sira should IMPEACH BONDSCAM RANIL for looting the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Bond Ranil has now got Alloysus released from jail, signalling the end of the inquiry into the Bondscam which is the single largest reason for lack of FDI and crashing rupee and economy of Lanka.

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kolla/January 2, 2019

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Sirisena tried to give the people an opportunity to vote in a new government. Ranil/mahendran /kiriella/malik/harsha /ajith/sagala types should not be allowed to continue in this way.In the country they have no mandate (refer last local government elections results in February 2018)

But Ranil had brought in the 19 amendment which according to this supreme court prohibits an election until 4 years.So he made the law which suited him.

Ranil says even in England there is a similar law which gives a fixed period. Ranil does not behave like an Englishman in anything else. With his record by now any Englishman would have resigned.

This four and half term is very undemocratic.The people are soverign and their power cannot be controlled by rules passed by their own parliamentarians .

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Saro/January 2, 2019

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19th A was approved and singed by the president. The parliament is elected by the people to make laws and 19A is such a law. The MPs were elected for a period of 5 years and dissolution before the said period is to manipulate the electoral system to the advantage/ disadvantage of one or the other political party. Here the president wanted to bring in his declared- enemy- became- friend in order to cancel all the investigations of murders, robbery and sabotage of democratic governance by his predecessor .

TNA stood for what was legal and fair which was vindicated by the country’s highest court. People should not be attempted to be fooled because they have the ultimate weapon to elect or de-elect the whole democratic machinery.

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RP/January 2, 2019

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Dear desperate friends
To comment writers: Desparate Sinhalaya, Anallist, Burt, Mike, Amarasiri, Budist, Samsun Gunawadene, Babal-appu, Ballige Puta, Leelage pulli, Koti pulliya, Puke mile, Nimal fernando, Pundaya, Padaya (fart) et al!
Didn’t you vote for Sirisena or/and encourage Sri Lankan voters to vote him on Jan 8, 2015? Why cry fowl now when everything gone wrong and backfired? We, Sri Lankans are surprised about your comments on CT with abusive words that no decent Sri Lankan uses to criticize political opponents.
(I presume that you people are all living abroad and/or agents of some dirty ‘hand’! You poke into our affairs in order to complicate everything from politics, economics to social and cultural life in our country.)
Sirisena and Wickremasingha who have no honest concrete policies were imposed upon Sri Lanka with the promise of ‘Good governance’ (Yahapalanaya). The Joint Opposition clearly said from the very beginning that this duo that you guys and monk Sobita hurriedly tied together was like Elaharaka (village bull) and Meeharaka (water buffalo)! What a logical and understandable traditional saying to us in villages! They were supposed to plow the paddy field, but, instead, they both started pulling out from each other, and now they are at each other’s throat while the field (country) is abandoned.
Now we have to believe what Wimal Weerawansa, Gammanpila, Vasu, Prasanna Ranaweera, and many Joint Opposition members said about the duo. JO is right and you freaking bunch of idiots are dead wrong! Why should we believe your slanderous rubbish any more?
We, Sri Lankans are not surprised if you guys say next time: “We are bringing ‘Makandure Madush’ as our common candidate and please vote for him!
Get a life men, without wasting CT space and our time!

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Saman Patabareiya/January 2, 2019

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The ground reality of ongoing politics is that TNA wanted to suppressed Voice of Vote and voice of the People by indefinably postpone of Parliamentary election the vested interest of local politics UNP that class lumpen which that self-interest.
The TNA new federalism advocated by Abharm Sumantiran of in LTTE agenda.
The The Voice of vote suppressed by Support of judgment of SC of that Judiciary of Island court of law. SC has discarded that right vote of fundament right of millions of citizens right of Sri Lankan, which is violation of UNO declaration ?

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The Sinopian/January 2, 2019

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Why don’t you first take some English lessons from some hole in the wall English tutory

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The Sinopian/January 4, 2019

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Why use somebody else’s language if you don’t know it – stick to the language you know

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Sinhala_Man/January 4, 2019

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Dear Sinopian,
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I don’t know if I can really provide an answer to your question unless you’re in a receptive mood. Before anything else, let me emphasise that I didn’t condemn that particular comment of yours outright owing to the content in Patabareiya’s comment.
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I agree that we find it painful to listen to guys struggling with a language that they barely know. But here the language used had necessarily to be English – so then, what you’re saying seems to be that you want never to communicate with people who can’t used English freely.
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I’ve made a cursory internet effort to find out how many languages are available at the Sri Lankan A. Levels as one of the three main subjects: failed, but I think it would be almost twenty. It is only in three languages that the exam is pitched at First Language level: Sinhalese, Tamil and English. So, it is a main language here. Could you please extrapolate from there.
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It is also the prestige language, and the language which determines social standing. By now there is an irresistible desire to climb in society. (Ah, nasty social climbers! – I could have avoided that pitfall by speaking euphemistically, but then we’d be getting nowhere.) Are we correct to deny others this possibility just because it is likely that in our families and among our associates we have “somehow” acquired the ability to use English? Examine how we acquired this status. Likely, if we are honest, that our ancestors were compradors. To now deny it to others is wrong. PERIOD
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It may also prove foolish and dangerous. If yours was a serious query, please respond to what I’ve said. A lengthy discussion here may not be practicable – if you’d like it discussed by the two of us, fine; I’ll let you have contact details.

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Chinese who have nothing common with SL has taken half of the country.
Are you not bother?
Modayas are against Federalism BUT ready to share the country with Chinese he he he

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Native Vedda/January 2, 2019

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Saman Patabareiya
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Thank you for another of your rant.
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“The TNA new federalism advocated by Abharm Sumantiran of in LTTE agenda.”
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Federal idea is nothing new.
It was advocated by SWRD Banda in the 1930s.
The Tamil parties cannot claim Federalism was their new idea. It’s been there for quite sometime.
LTTE’s didn’t have Federalism in its agenda.
Please stop typing new Mahawamsa.
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Will you reread your typing and factcheck before posting them on this forum or any other.

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K.Pillai/January 2, 2019

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MS can contribute to improve governance by acting as ‘check and balance’. ‘Check’ only will cause difficulties to both sides.

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Mark La Brooy/January 2, 2019

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That’s quite OK. Instead of having one minister making the appointment now there is oversight to make sure that there is no nepotism involved. The presidential committee should also have the power to oversee financial revenue/expenditure of each state institution.

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Mark La Brooy/January 2, 2019

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That’s quite OK. Instead of having one minister making the appointment now there is oversight to make sure that there is no nepotism involved. The presidential committee should also have the power to oversee financial revenue/expenditure of each state institution. Stamping out corruption has to be among the top five priorities of the government.

LEELAGEMALLI/January 2, 2019

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Fred/January 2, 2019

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To put it bluntly, this is bloody ridiculous. Why should there be a new committee to vet the resumes of those nominated by the ministers? No organisation can be expected to function efficiently if there is an endless chain of checks. It’s got to stop somewhere. You need to be able to rely on the ministers to have carried out the proper checks themselves. For a separate committee to again check the resumes of those recommended, is to needlessly go through the same exercise again – a waste of resources. It also casts doubt on the efficiency and integrity of the ministers, and that is unwarranted. This is not unlike what is said to happen in secretive totalitarian states where typically at any of the country’s embassies abroad, the ambassador’s deputy spies on his boss, the embassy secretary spies on the deputy and the embassy chauffer spies on the secretary, and so it goes on. MS has gone bonkers.

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K.Pillai/January 2, 2019

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{“,,,,,,,,Sirisena Appoints Committee To Vet Heads Of All State Institutions:………..”.
The ‘Committee’ must have persons of integrity. Did MS find the number?
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It is commonsense. The minister must appoint the heads of state institutions coming under each ministry. As to how the ministers accommodate the scarcity of persons of integrity is a matter of concern.
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It may be in the personal interest of MS to impede, RW but how about the lay-Lankans?

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Saman Patabareiya/January 3, 2019

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Native Vedda’s comment ….
Tamils of TNA wanted to NOT go for election ,because majority People of Lankan an opposed for current regime of UNP’s. Key reasons of that survival RW of UNP by support 15 members of Tamil separatist of TNA Parliamentarian. If not that TNA, that so-called UNP headed has lost his power of governances..13 December 2018!
There is not that secret of the TNA led separatist has been hijacked our valued of democracy after 70 years in modern political history of Democracy by functions of mode of system of that Parliament.
We were well aware that UNP +JVP and other few handful of foreign forces, that want to remain in power of CENTER of State by indefinitely period which that UNP’s leader of Ranil Wicks as head of State.

They were planning for replace MS by that RW+ CBK place coup. Therefor that Political coup was foil by MR leadership in 26th Octemeber 2018 and rational decision by President of MS.
There was master plan for “Constitutional Ameadeant of 20th” by JVP . Or New Proposed Constitution drafted by TNA suggest for unpersedant Provincial Council Power to be weaken center of state by UNP leadership have been help by JVP, JHU, MC and CBK of Tamil Federalists.
Such a political situation was complex one .The well being of National state and progressive social forces were compelled to resist against TNA sepetrsim by partition of for the Island for Tamil regime in North-east back by RW and CBK headed elements.
No body can evaluation political development of unless that read political tactics of that UNP=TNA=JVP of their grand alliances and its road map.
Do we a keep mind a vision of correct handling political suiatition of social forces which that promoted by Western Embassies and Indian RAW. Those are elements behind UNP guided to an occupy Temple Trees by RW of UNP and his clique .

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Native Vedda/January 4, 2019

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Saman Patabareiya
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If you find it difficult to write in English please feel free to use any other language you are comfortable with, … Tamil, Sinhala, …. even Esperando.

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Why is no one considering depriving MR & MS of their civic rights as JR’s Govt had done for Sirima? Is there not a long list of crimes listed in some CT articles & comments perpetrated against the many people’s of SL by MR and now in cohort with MS who was chosen by CBK & Co to undo and reduce MR”s damages to the body politic of SL. Did not MR win the presidency through deceit & fraud by bribing the LTTE? Did not his family, clan and relatives handle about 60 to 70 % of the SL’s finances during his horrendous primarily self-serving reign and then claiming undue and fake credit for the defeat of the LTTE which was primarily enabled by the coalition of 20 to 30 countries?

Won’t this help break up the unholy triangle of MR, MS, & RW and recreate three parallel paths? Until MR & MS too are eventually replaced by others akin to the days of Gamini Dis, Lalith Athu & Rane Preme? The political parties may be different but is not the crux of these problems similar to and with the gaudy triple egos ahead of the people’s interest? Is it not likely to metamorphose with the disadvantage of the unavailability of the LTTE to do the dirty work now in contrast to then?

Why won’t “Friday Forum” and other intellectuals and many varied activists like Ariyaratne of the Deshodhya movements do something through the highest court in the land as was the case in relation to the “Land rights” of the aboriginal peoples of Australia when both of the two main parties failed them repeatedly for over two centuries? Should not the SC of SL rise to the challenge to recreate and invent more just and appropriate laws at this crucial juncture where the rule of law and democracy is at stake? Are people for the constitution or is the constitution for a select group of greedy, corrupt and deranged politicians?

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